NEW DELHI: Captain Smriti Mandhana expressed disappointment over India’s fielding performance, stating they should have limited Ireland to under 180 runs in the first ODI at Rajkot on Friday.
Despite reducing Ireland to 56/4 in the 14th over, the visitors managed to post 238 for seven, with captain Gaby Lewis (92) and Leah Paul (59) capitalising on three dropped catches and several misfields.
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Although India achieved the target comfortably, Mandhana voiced concerns about the fielding standards.
“We need to get better at fielding. We should have restricted them to 180, will be aiming to do that going forward. We have to go out there and execute our plans, that’s going to be important,” she stated at the post-match presentation.
The captain did commend the bowlers for their performance on a batting-friendly surface. “To bowl on these sort of wickets, which have nothing in it, the bowlers did a really good job… The way they executed the slower balls and bouncers. Every game here on, we need to execute.”
Mandhana contributed a quick 41 off 29 balls before Pratika Rawal demonstrated composure with her 89 from 96 deliveries.
“Really happy for our batters. Tejal finished off well. It was a perfect day for us. Matches are won by the things we do behind the scene. Need to stick to our routine and do all the right things,” Mandhana added.
Pratika, who debuted against West Indies in the previous series, approached her innings without focusing on personal milestones.
“I am not thiking about the results, not thinking about the big numbers, just taking it one match at a time. Whenever the ball is in my slot, I try to hit boundaries. Otherwise I just try to push it down the ground,” she explained.
The psychology student credited her academic background for her composed approach. “Being a student of psychology also helps to stay calm. We were just trying to keep it simple, we had a good start,” she said regarding her partnership with Smriti.
Tejal Hasanbis marked her return with an unbeaten 53, securing the victory. “I feel great, happy that I contributed in team’s win, that matters the most, that (win) means more than the fifty. My game plan was simple, I love chasing. I was playing according to the situation. Rotated the strike initially and scored boundaries when the ball was in the slot.”
